No one was talking about a system that awards the party which has 33.3% support. The crux is not just being fair to the 66.6% or 33.3% but the FULL 100% of the population.

*shrugs*

Yes, we know CSJ landed in prison before – that’s the whole point. Singaporeans don’t care because you got to go win their votes. If Potong Pasir and Hougang Singaporeans can do it, I don’t see why not in other places. What we need is real hardworking candidates.

Otherwise, you can have the fairest election system in the world and win shit. Tell me which system awards the winner a party that has 33.3% and the loser a party with 66.6%. That wouldn’t be fair to the 66.6% right? This will be an even worse system.

the PAP ruling party have regularly got 95% of parliamentary seats with 65% popular support while our combined opposition have 5% parliamentary seats ( 2 seats exact ) with 35% popular support throughout the years. you only need to goggle to know “single member district, first pass the post, winner take all” election format is extremely unfair and is never a fair representation of the voting trends of the peasants to the various parties. judging by averges, one party need only 40-45% of nationwide votes to be the majority party, gathering 50-55% votes will give u around 2/3 amt of seats and 65% of votes could give u a high 90% of seats.

what are the alternative election methods
1) “single member or GRC district” elections for 75% of seats and then a second vote for voters to select their favoured political parties for 25% of seats to be divided by proportional representation.
2) “multi-member distrct” elections where voters select from a list of MPs for that GRC and one GRC can elect several MPs. local elections for who run your town councils
3) taking away the election committee from the Prime Minister and letting the President take control of it. ( hopefully this will be fairer
4) Minorities to select their own MPs in Parliament ( reserved seats ). This way the GRCs can be abolished.

The PAP regime have not shown any interest into allowing a fairer representation of poltical parties in parliament despite the fact that there are at least 30% of voting population that vote against them in every elections. To the ruling party – Winner take all and that’s all that matter.

I do hope that the opposition can start promoting ideas of elections reform to the general public and push for the changes strongly as that’s really the only way out to gain seats in parliament.

In short, as long as the economy works in favor of the elites, we are not going to see much support from them here.

However, in my opinion, Dr Chee should channel his energy in starting a more humane business model to counter the ruthless capitalist. If he succeeds in moving these elites from their “comfort zone” to a more “equity zone”, the rests of the support will follow.

In other words, I feel he stands a better chance for change if he gets into the “business of things” that the common man can relate to rather than establishing himself as a leader for change.

Better to serve ‘bread’ than rule over ‘bread’.

2. I totally agree with Dr CHEE, who is 1 of my most admired persons I have ever come across or read, and Mr Gopalan NAIR, that we need action as much as we need words. That Mr JBJ had fought decades and accomplished little — but the fight is still important, if only for symbolic reasons and as a model of what can be done if we are brave enough. Please note that Mr JBJ was quite active, too, although not as much as Dr CHEE and still accomplished little. This means that, much as we may want to move forward to action, we at the same time cannot relinquish our blogs, essays, articles, comments, even jokes and satires, etc, even if these serve no more use than to prettify the NLB archives.

3. Indeed, I believe that LKY desperately wants to go down in history as a Great Man — proof of this can be seen in his total control of every word or image or second of video in his controlled media, all whitewashing his ‘legacy’. Thus, we need Truths and Truths Well Told, to undo the white/brain-washing LKY has been doing from 1959, even before. So, TOC, do please continue your brilliant mission. Although, as Dr CHEE suggested, TOC could perhaps organise some meetings, forums, discussions, etc, to be more activist. TOC, being now a well-respected org, can probably bring in the WP, SDA and other parties which have, sadly, totally shunned any contact or joint actions with Dr CHEE. This could take TOC to a new level in its mission.

4. Another point, if LKY did not fear the online media, would he have gone to such lengths to silence us? His fear of the online media shows that what TOC and other bloggers are doing is important. Indeed, he may fear the online media more than he fears Dr CHEE, because 1 man or a couple of can easily be arrested on the usual trumped up charges and bankrupted while the online media can reach every mind in Singapore and the planet, potentially, thereby unwashing his carefully painted public image. Another point, if not for the online media amplifying every action of Dr CHEE, at least from recently, could he even have achieved half of what he has achieved? So TOCs are important.

5. Also, we have all been deliberately ‘atomised’ into single individuals and atomic families, all singles, instead of a community. Dictators deliberately destroy and prevent communities. LKY has fragmented everybody and every org into singles, not communities in the standard Divide And Conquer tactic, to suppress any community from growing strong and united. And 1 of the greatest potentials of the online media is to build communities of the mind. I believe that TOC does now have quite a community following.

6. To end, keep up the important mission. I cannot describe well enough how important your work is but I believe you know it, too.

Jeyaretnam has been talking of reform over the last 3 decades. No change has ever come about. It only got worse. Please tell Jeyaretnam, whom I respect that, even though he is a Christian, Lee Kuan Yew is not. He should not expect a Christian response from Lee Kuan Yew for his desire for electoral reform.

Lee is only accustomed to kncukle dusters and hatchets in cul de sacs. Please make Jeyaretnam understand that.
Regards
Gopalan Nair